ISTANBUL, Oct 19: Any future referendums on Turkey's European Union membership would set a "dangerous" precedent by stoking anti-Muslim sentiment in Europe, a leading European Parliament lawmaker said on Tuesday.

EU candidate Turkey hopes European leaders meeting at a December summit will set a date to begin entry negotiations next year after the bloc's executive commission said this month Ankara had made sufficient human rights reforms to start talks.

But French President Jacques Chirac's promise to put Turkey's membership to a public vote when the time comes has stirred debate about whether this populous Muslim nation belongs in overwhelmingly Christian Europe.

"I am against referendums in one country against another. A referendum about Turkey ... I think its very dangerous," said Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the Greens' parliamentary leader, who was exiled from France for 10 years for his role in the 1968 unrest.

"Can we guarantee that a referendum won't be on whether (voters) like Turks or not? It won't be a question on whether you want to integrate, but a referendum on 'Do you like Muslims?'" Cohn-Bendit told reporters at an Istanbul conference on Turkey's EU prospects.

Under pressure from a public largely opposed to Turkey's entry, Chirac said this month France would hold a referendum on whether Turkey can join in some 10 years time when negotiations with the bloc are expected to draw to a close.

Italy's right-wing Northern League party, part of the coalition government, also came out on Monday in favour of a referendum on Turkey's membership, despite widespread Italian public support for Ankara's bid.

Germany's opposition party, the Christian Democrats, also opposes Turkey's full membership in the bloc, but has said it currently has no plans to push for a referendum. Under Germany's constitution referendums are not allowed.

Cohn-Bendit acknowledged the integration of Turkey, a relatively poor country of 71 million people, would be a difficult process that would require a different approach to that adopted with other EU candidates.

"We need a special negotiation between Turkey and Europe because Turkey's integration is a special problem that is much more complicated, much more difficult for Turkey and Europe," said Cohn-Bendit, who supports Turkey's EU bid. "The integration of Turkey is a big historical move." -Reuters